


And It Makes Me Wonder

by Catz95



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dating, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:27:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23179216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catz95/pseuds/Catz95
Summary: Roger is new in town and he meets a band called Smile.
Relationships: Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor
Comments: 14
Kudos: 37





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moreofthatqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moreofthatqueen/gifts).



> The time lines made up and the truth doesn't matter.
> 
> This is an AU where Brian, Tim and Freddie form Smile instead.
> 
> There is no period typical homophobia here. It's a giant fluff piece.
> 
> I apologize deeply to Tim because I used the fandom trope of him being an asshole to move the plot along. I'm sure he's a lovely wonderful person in reality.
> 
> Dedicated to my most beautiful friend Mary and the handful of people who beta read one of the million versions of the first chapter I wrote. Seriously, thank you.

Freddie’s book bag weighed heavily on his shoulder as he walked between cars in the college parking lot. He felt tired from the night before. He and his friend and fellow band mate, Brian, had hit a stride when it came to some of the songs they were working on for their group. Sleep ended up being sacrificed for the greater good of creativity.

While trying to focus his mind on not being late for class, Freddie didn’t notice right away when a breeze kicked up, taking the hat he was wearing along with it. When he reached the front lawn of the school he realized his hat had landed at the feet of a blond man sitting on the retaining wall.

Tall and slim, the young blond held a sandwich that he was taking large bites out of. His feet were dangling slightly above the ground.

“Hey,” Freddie called out as he approached.

The man’s attention immediately pulled onto Freddie and his large blue eyes scanned Freddie from his head down to his feet.

“Can you…?” Freddie gestured.

The young blond spotted Freddie’s hat on the ground. He hopped down from the wall to grab it before the wind had a chance to pick it back up again.

Freddie smiled as he returned the hat to his head. “Thanks.”

The smile was returned.

“Not a problem,” The man said. He hopped back onto the wall to sit again.

Freddie was about to walk away, but something he couldn’t quite put his finger on made his feet stay rooted instead.

“I haven’t seen you around before,” Freddie said. “I never forget a face.”

The man took another bite of his sandwich with his eyebrows raised in interest. One thing Freddie could say about this person was he definitely was not a graceful eater.

“I actually just moved into town. I go to West London.”  Gesturing east, the blond continued to speak. “I live in the student flats near here.”

A llowing himself to become a bit more theatrical  with his mannerisms and voice ,  Freddie introduced himself.

“Well in that case, welcome to London my dear. My name is Freddie, Freddie Bulsara.” 

He straightened, trying to give off the air of confiden ce . 

The man held out his hand not occupied by the sandwich and shook Freddie’s. Roger’s hand felt warm and rough, but not unpleasantly so.

“I’m Roger. Roger Taylor.”

“Well then Roger,” Freddie adjusted his book bag strap and shifted his weight on his feet.“What’s brought you to Ealing in particular?” 

It wasn’t unheard of for those future doctors  that went to West London to hang about  Ealing’s campus , but it was a bit on the rarer side.

Roger shrugged. “Just looking for if there’s anything to see. I haven’t made any friends around here yet and I decided to check out the other colleges to see if I could find anything interesting.”

“And have you found anything?”

Roger’s whole face light up to the question.

“Actually yes! On the student bulletin board I found this flyer, look-” Roger pulled a lime green piece of paper out of his denim jacket pocket. He unfolded it and smoothed it out best as he could.

The flyer read:

**Ever wanted to join a professional band?**

**Now’s your chance!**

**Smile is looking for the right fit, could it be you?**

**Call Brian at (555) 234-7654**

“I haven’t called them yet,” Roger continued, “But I’m excited- I use to be in a band a few years ago and I’ve been looking for a new one to join.”

Freddie’s face broke into a grin. “Well, turns out you’re in luck, that flyer came from my band.”

Roger’s eyes widened and sparkled. “No way!”

“If you’re interested, we’re meeting up with interested people at The Castle at 3 PM.”

“I’m in!”

Freddie explained where the small pub was located, but he found himself getting slightly distracted by Roger’s body language. Roger very much talked with his whole body, including those alluring eyes.

As Freddie walked away to get himself for class, which he was now late for, he could not help but glance back behind him to get one last look at Roger. And Roger couldn’t help but notice him do it.

**~*~**

Roger would be kidding if he didn’t admit that Freddie had intrigued him instantly. He certainly fit the art student stereo type, all the way down to his white buckle boots, but there was something Roger could not place that made him unable to stop thinking about Freddie and the meeting at the pub the rest of the day.

A few hours later, Roger came to a stop in front of ‘The Castle’, and he was sure he had found the right place; it was across from Ealing College just as Freddie had said it would be.

Taking a deep breath, Roger pushed open the door.

Inside was the run of the mill type of pub one would expect to see in London. It also felt a bit cramped.

While Roger ordered a beer, he decided he would sit closer to the door rather than towards the back. He had just met Freddie that morning and he didn’t want to be missed. He desperately wanted to make friends and break into the local social scene and it seemed he may have finally found his chance.

Once sat, he propped his elbow up onto the table and put his chin on his hand. He placed a cigarette between his lips.

A few minutes later, the door opened.

**~*~**

Freddie was still running late after class. His teacher of course just _had_ to pull him aside and talk to him about the first draft of his paper due the following week on his way out the door.

Brian was already at the pub when Freddie got there, waiting for him. Brian’s hands were in his pockets and a far away look was on his face. His’s guitar, The Red Special, leaned in its case against the brick building.

‘Typical,” Freddie thought to himself. “He’s probably thinking about the latest theory he learned about Uranus or something.’

Freddie snorted at his own joke, catching Brian’s attention.

“Hey,” Brian said, sounding exhausted and more than a bit frustrated.

It only took a moment for Freddie to figure out why.

“Where’s Tim?”

Brian shrugged. “Chose his girlfriend over us.”

“Again? You can’t be serious.”

Crossing his arms, Freddie glared at Brian as if it were his fault.

“S’uppose he doesn’t take the band as serious as us,” Brian paused. “I’m just as annoyed as you for the record.”

Freddie opened his mouth as if he were about to give Brian an earful about how he felt about Tim deserting them, but instead Freddie just closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Lets just not think about it. I found someone to come to our interview today, he’s really promising.”

Freddie neglected to tell Brian he had never heard Roger play anything, and just met him; But that was a minor detail.

“That’s good,” Brian offered as an olive branch. “I don’t think anyone else is going to come.”

Freddie took a deep breath trying to put back on his more confident persona but he  still rocked back and forth on his feet. “Lets go in shall we?”

**~*~**

Roger glanced their way as soon as he and Brian entered the pub and Freddie spotted him quickly. He elbowed Brian then pointed in Roger’s direction.

As Freddie approached the table he felt his breath catch in his throat. Roger had taken off his jacket he had been wearing earlier, showing off that he had very obvious drummer arms. They weren’t huge exactly, but they were definitely strong.

“ Hey Roger-”

Roger beamed up at Freddie, his cigarette dangling from his lips. “Hello again.”

Freddie knew he had paused a bit too long before opening his mouth again to speak. Nervously, he smiled and pushed Brian forward in front of him.

“Wha…?” Brian said softly, shooting a glare in Freddie’s direction.

“This is Brian,” Freddie said his voice a bit louder and higher than it was naturally. It was as if he were presenting the guitarist to be bid on at an auction. “And before you ask, that is his natural hair.”

Brian took the bait as he sat down across from Roger, leaning back casually. “Yup, I was born with it,”

A toothy smile broke out across Brian’s face and Roger returned one of his own.

“I think I like him,” Roger said as he appraised Brian.

Freddie took the seat diagonal from Roger, and said, “Oh he’s easy to like. Until you talk about space that is.”

Brian made a fussy noise in protest which made both Freddie and Roger burst into laughter.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Roger gasped out.

When Roger settled down again, he tapped his cigarette on the ash tray and then took another drag from it. He turned and grabbed his pack from his coat jacket and offered the Marlboro reds to the other two men. Freddie took two appreciatively, shoving the extra one behind his ear.

Brian on the other hand shook his head politely.

Roger took out a lighter and lit it for Freddie, and Freddie took a deep drag once the cigarette was lit.

‘Thank the gods for nicotine,’ Freddie briefly thought.

“Are you new to the area?” Brian inquired to Roger.

“Yup, just transferred to East London,” Roger held up the flyer he still had. “Found this today at Ealing.”

“We’ve gotten a few call backs so far but haven’t found our match yet,” Freddie sighed, taking another drag of his cigarette. “It’s been dreadfully boring work to meet people with absolutely no talent.”

Roger leaned back, folding his hands behind his head. A cocky grin spread across his face, dripping in charm. “Well, now you can stop looking.”

Freddie’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve got to audition for us first. You can’t just be a pretty face darling, that position is already taken.”

“I can see that.”

“Oh so you’re a cheeky one are you?” Freddie said with amusement.

“I can be, just a bit. But I swear its to cover up the sweet sensitive soul that lies underneath.”

Roger bat his eyes, causing Freddie to snort and both of them burst into a fit of laughter again

Brian, meanwhile, silently watched the pair, looking both amused and slightly puzzled.

Freddie clapped his hands together. “Oh goodness, Tim is going to hate you, you’re _perfect_!”

As he wiped away tears from laughing, Roger replied: “But truly though, I’m really hoping we might be a good fit. What’s your band like?”

“We’re called Smile obviously,” Freddie made a vague gesture towards the flyer. “I’m a lead singer and I play piano, Tim is also a lead singer.. unfortunately. He also plays bass most of the time, mostly just because someone has to, I know he despises it.”

“And you Brian?”

“Guitarist-” Brian didn’t elaborate so Freddie did it for him.

“He’s absolutely bloody amazing but thing is he knows it. So you can imagine...”

“Guitar solos?” Roger asked, glancing at Brian’s stoic face.

Freddie groaned dramatically. “I need at least three bathroom breaks during them.”

“Fred!” Brian elbowed him and Freddie pretended to wince.

“Sounds brilliant, when can I audition?”

Brian glanced at his wrist. “Well actually, we’re heading heading to a practice after this so if you’re interested...?”

“Absolutely!”

Exhilaration passed over Roger’s face- a very endearing look on him, Freddie thought.


	2. Audition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does Roger have what it takes to become a member of Smile?

The walk to the student theater took less than five minutes. 

During the walk, Roger contemplated about how he had never really gotten along with anyone this quick before. It felt like lightening in a bottle. He wondered briefly if Tim would really hate him or if Freddie was just kidding.

The theater was large, stuffy and empty. Rows upon rows of old seats lined most of the space.

It didn’t take long for Brian to beeline to the stage. On the way over to the theater, Brian had told him the name of his guitar when Roger had asked him about it. Roger watched curiously as Brian took his cherry wood guitar out of its case and hooked it up to an amp already on the theater stage. If Brian hadn’t said anything, Roger would have never guessed the guitar’s wood use to be on an old fire place. 

Brian’s eyes eased closed as he began to tune the guitar, his slim fingers twisting the tuners as he searched for the right tension for the strings. 

Roger sat on one of the theater seats, propping his feet up in front of him. He leaned back for a while and just watched Brian work with great interest.

“Oi Brian, back to earth space man,” Freddie called out as he yanked at an old drum set from backstage. 

With an inquisitive hum, Brian opened his eyes again not quite understanding what he was looking at right away. After a moment he realized Freddie was trying to drag something that was probably heavier than Freddie himself across the stage with very little success.

“I can help too if you’d like,” Roger offered, getting onto his feet. 

Freddie panted for a moment, his face slightly red, and nodded. 

“Please. This is harder to move around in one piece than I remember.”

“Maybe its because that’s the type of set that absolutely must be taken apart unless you have help?” Roger asked.

Freddie grimaced at his mistake but neither of the boys teased him. Instead, Roger approached the stage, offering his hand so Freddie could pull him up.

Freddie’s hand was absolutely not like Roger’s at all. Freddie’s nails were all neatly trimmed, painted a deep green color with flecks of gold glitter. The pad of his hand was probably as soft as it was the day he was born. 

Roger on the other hand couldn’t remember the last time his hands hadn’t been torn up. He found himself playing his drums a lot to pass the time as of late and he didn’t like to half ass things, not even practice.

Once the drums and throne were set up to Roger’s liking, Freddie tossed some drum sticks to him.

“So I’m assuming we’re not going to have a miraculous appearance from Tim tonight?” Freddie asked Brian, while he went to fiddle with the mic stand. 

“He’s definitely not coming,” Brian said flatly. 

“We really need to have a talk with him when we get the chance-”

Brian shrugged his shoulders. “He said something about checking out a sound check with some band called ‘Humpy Bong’ next Saturday, so maybe we need to take a hint.”

“Humpy Bong?” Freddie’s flat tone matched Brian’s.

“The one with the Bee Gee’s drummer?” Roger interjected, trying to hold back the amazement in his voice and quite failing.

Brian shrugged again. 

Freddie sighed. “Well, Brian and I can still make an executive decision on if you’re is a good fit. Two against one right?”

Brian nodded then turned his attention to Roger.

“Do you know Toad by the band Cream?”

“Boy do I!” Roger scrambled over to the drum set. He plopped down onto the drummer’s throne and began testing the set out. The snare was quite warn but it would do. “Ginger Baker’s is so something else!”

A smile came back to Brian’s face and it seemed the topic of Tim had been forgotten. Freddie watched amused as the two other men worked out the rhythm they wanted to play. 

It wasn’t long before the guitarist and drummer were playing as if they had been working together for years.

When the song finished, all too soon, Roger beamed at Brian and they chatted about how well it went. Brian was beside himself with excitement.

“I think we found what we were looking for, eh Freddie?” 

A hopeful look took over Roger’s features as he glanced over to Freddie. He sincerely hoped he didn’t look desperate. 

The corner of Freddie’s mouth twitched into a smile. 

“You can play very well yes, didn’t you say you could also sing?”

“Fred, he doesn’t need to do that on top of everything, we already have us and Tim-”

Freddie waved Brian off with his hand that had the mic in it. “Well?”

“Do you one better,” Roger smirked back to Freddie, determination in his blue eyes. “I can drum and sing.”

Freddie seemed taken aback by Roger’s confidence, but he never faltered.

“Do you know ‘Can’t Buy Me Love?’ ”

“I could play that in my sleep.”

Brian glanced between the two of them. “We could try all three of us, singing together.”

“Bring it on,” Roger replied.

An hour later, after the three of them had constantly threw song recommendations at each other, (which at one point involved a rather complicated piano solo from Freddie), they were panting and sweaty.

They stared at each other with a fascination. They sounded good together- no, not just good, great. Sure there would be a lot of work to do to get completely in sync, and Roger would need to learn Smile’s songs, but those were just formalities at that point.

Roger’s tank top stuck to his back. He sighed as he pulled it off over his head. “I knew I shouldn’t have worn my favorite tank for luck.”

Flashing a grin in Freddie’s direction, Roger tried to not let on he had caught Freddie staring. Freddie turned his eyes away when they locked eyes.

“You haven’t even heard me hit high notes yet,” Roger continued. “I use to be a choir boy.”

“Fred, if you don’t say he’s in the band I’m gonna run off with him and start a new band without you,” Brian joked as he unhooked the Red Special from the amp.

“We’d have to see what Tim says,” Freddie rolled his eye for the dramatic effect. 

Roger watched Freddie eagerly, waiting for the words he knew he was going to hear. 

“-But of course he’s in the band, its like he’s been here the whole time.”

Roger cheered and punched the sky in victory. 

“Obviously, you’ll need a lot of work,” Freddie pretended that he was evaluating Roger for the first time even though it had been really obvious he had been doing it all evening. “We’ll have to make sure your image fits in with the rest of us.”

“My... image?”

Brian snorted loudly but Freddie ignored him. 

“Yes, we’re putting on a production, you have to look like a star.”

“Oh that’s easy,” Roger said, a smirk spreading across his face. “I’ll just wear nothing at all, and all the ladies will be satisfied.” 

Brian doubled over laughing, his brown curls falling into his face, but Freddie frowned.

“No no no, that won’t do, you’ll have to let me come over and have a look at your clothes.”

“I think I’ll be fine dressing mysel-” 

Freddie cut Roger off. “Nonsense. I’ll come over after we’re done here. The sooner we get you ready the sooner we can have Brian can get in touch with a venue.”

Roger’s eyes shifted to Brian who shrugged and smiled sympathetically as if to say ‘This is a rite of passage if you want to be in this band.’

“Well then, bring it on,” Roger raised his eyebrow suggestively at Freddie and Freddie instantly blushed.


	3. Outfit Choosing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger is a bit distracting.

Freddie and Roger found themselves in Roger’s rather disorganized dorm room about a half hour later. Roger told Freddie there were still moving boxes stacked around because he had not had time to unpack. Not much furniture was in the space, besides Roger’s bed and a crappy TV that Roger said had already been there when he had moved in.

While Freddie dug through Roger’s closet, filled to the brim with everything except the kitchen sink, his mind kept wandering to earlier during the practice. Roger had looked so _good_ when he was drumming. Roger wore passion well.

In addition, his thin, slightly feminine body contrasted the gravely tone of his larger than life voice.

Freddie’s thoughts lingered on trying to figure out what his feelings meant, while also trying to concentrate on what he was currently doing.

“Do you really think this is necessary? “ Roger asked after some time of watching Freddie dig.

“Of course it is- Oh what are these?”

Freddie turned, holding a pair of hip hugging briefs.

Roger spent ten minutes insisting that his underwear were NOT ladies panties, they were just low cut. It was trendy… Or at least that’s what Roger tried to convince Freddie of anyway. It really didn’t work but Freddie had bigger fish to fry than make comments about the lacy thongs he kept finding. Each pair found was coupled with a ‘they belonged to my past girlfriend I swear’ being muttered behind him.

Eventually, Roger seemed to have had enough.

“Whats wrong with a good pair of trousers and a shirt?”

Freddie fussed as he threw clothing over his shoulder.

“We have to pretend every gig is the most important of our lives, the crowd expects it.”

“The crowd doesn’t know who we are yet,” Roger groaned.

“That’s exactly the point, we have to leave them knowing exactly who we are- Ah this will do.”

Freddie pulled up a costume gem encrusted belt that Roger told him he wore once but it poked his skin too much. Roger also said when he pulled it out of a box he had tossed it in the back of his closet hoping to never see it again.

“Can we at least take a break from clothes digging?” Roger said with a sigh. He flopped backward onto his bed which groaned under his dead weight. “You’ve been at it for ages and besides that belt you’ve only decided on a pair of shoes… that you might want for yourself.”

“You’re not taking this serious enough,” Freddie tossed the belt next to the white and tan buckle boots he had fished out earlier. Roger was right though. He was feeling tired and a bit hungry.

“And you’re taking it too seriously,” Roger moved over on his bed and patted the space he made. “Come on, sit down. Relax.. Do anything besides be in that closet all night.”

For a moment Freddie peered over at Roger feeling scandalized.

However, Roger’s tank top had lifted from him laying down showing off his soft skin of his stomach. His eyes were sparkling in the semi darkness that had started to creep into the room as the sun began to set.

Getting up to sit where Roger had asked him to, Freddie found he felt much too exhausted from his day to even think about how anxious the idea of being in Roger’s bed made him. Maybe he could use the break after all.

“There you go!” Roger encouraged as Freddie sank down onto the mattress.

A pout overtook Freddie’s face as he glanced over at the mess he made. “I still intend to dress you like a paper doll later, darling.”

Freddie shifted to lean against Roger’s warm body and he began to play with the ends of one of Roger’s blond locks.

After some comfortable silence, Roger yawned with obvious exaggeration and leaned back on his pillows.

“You could dress me up as a princess if you like,” He said distantly. “As long as we eat soon, I’m famished.”

“I think I’m too tired to eat, if I’m honest.”

Roger looked up at Freddie thoughtfully. “How ‘bout you lay down with me?”

 _‘Surely he’s not serious?’_ Freddie thought. But as Roger anxiously searched Freddie’s face he found that he really couldn’t ignore such a request.

“Well...” Freddie hesitated. “That sounds like a lovely idea.”

Freddie shifted and laid his body out, suddenly aware of how uneven his breathing sounded. He prayed that he still smelled okay; Roger had gotten a chance to shower earlier but he had not been so lucky yet.

Freddie started to fret about where to put his limbs- Roger didn’t have that large of a bed and it was in the corner of the room, meaning two sides were cut off from use.

All of Freddie’s worrying was for naught, however. It didn’t take long for Roger to grab onto him as if he were a giant teddy bear and lock arms around him. Roger snuggled his face into Freddie’s hair.

Still wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do in this position, Freddie eventually deduced from from how he was being held he was certainly the ‘girl’ in this situation. He thought about what a woman would do in Roger’s arms and pressed his face into Roger’s chest, unsure on if it was the right thing to do.

Roger’s heart beat seemed to be just about as fast as Freddie’s.

Freddie made an indecisive gesture to place his free hand onto Roger’s chest too but he changed his mind mid movement and started to pull away. Roger caught his wrist and gently placed Freddie’s hand where it had been headed.

Roger hummed, and ran his hand down Freddie’s side as he snuggled Freddie closer.

“Is this okay?” Roger whispered.

Freddie lip disappeared under his teeth and he evaluated how it felt to have Roger half draping on him and being pressed up against him. It felt safe, it felt right.

He nodded into Roger’s chest.

“Good,” Roger’s voice was tinged with relief and sleepiness.

It didn’t take long for Roger to relax. His breath became slow and even.

Freddie fought with himself to keep his eyes open. He never would have thought when he met this boy this morning that he would end the day in his bed. He almost didn’t want to drift away to sleep because he was afraid he’d wake up to it being a dream, or Roger regretting this intimate moment together.

Freddie’s exhaustion, however, won in the end.

~*~

Sometime later, Freddie woke up feeling disoriented. He was still pressed into Roger’s arms. The room became completely dark while they napped, and Freddie’s mouth was dry. Regretfully, as he began to stir so did Roger.

When Roger opened his eyes, Freddie could see in the haze of darkness that Roger was now studying Freddie’s face.

“You’re beautiful you know,” Roger said quietly.

This man who had captured Freddie’s attention that morning was calling _him_ beautiful? 

“Oh love,” Freddie said gently, running his finger tips down the side of Roger’s jaw line. “You’re the Mona Lisa compared to me.”

R oger frowned and shook his head. 

“No, listen. I’m being serious. And I want to get to know you. Not just for this band stuff but… properly. My intuition is telling me there’s something very special about you Freddie Bulsara.”

A blush crept up the back of Freddie’s neck and he found himself not knowing what to say. He didn’t have a template to fall back on to fake confidence in  _this_ situation, and his heart ached from the sincerity in Roger’s voice.

“Well,” Freddie said finally after some thought. “First thing to know about me is that I’m hungry, I don’t know about you.”

Roger laid on his back and smiled. 

“And first thing you’ll need to know about me is I love extra pepperoni on my pizza.”

~*~

Freddie handed the delivery man the money he and Roger had scraped together and took two large pizzas from him. Roger watched as Freddie nodded in an exaggerated fashion to the delivery man in thanks.

The thought came to Roger that it truly was easy for Freddie to slip into the persona everyone else got to see when they weren’t alone with him.

When the door closed, Freddie turned to Roger sitting on his bed and smiled. A warm feeling went through Roger’s chest.

“He said we got lucky and we were the last delivery for the night,” Freddie said, delighted. He handed one of the boxes to Roger and sat down on the small area rug to dig into his own pizza.

Roger thanked Freddie and without so much as a warning, half a slice was already being shoved into his face.

Freddie winced. “So you always eat like that huh?”

A muffled ‘yup’ came of Roger’s mouth somehow even though there wasn’t any room left.

Freddie sighed while he opened his own box. “Well don’t choke to death, we still need to get you ready for whenever our next gig is.”

As Roger chewed, his face puffed out as if he were a chipmunk. Once he swallowed he asked, “Are you sure you or Brian don’t have to talk to that Tim guy first? I don’t want to be stepping on any toes...”

Roger’s voice trailed off. He still wanted to make a good first impression in this city, especially if he was going to be here a while.

“Nonsense,” Freddie bit the tip of his extra cheese pizza and the cheese dragged out in a long string as he pulled away. “You’ll be my guest and Brian already adores you. You’re part of the band now.”

Roger was going to reply but there was too much food in his mouth again. Already a third of the large pizza was gone.

“Don’t worry, you’ll meet Tim at practice tomorrow, if he’s done drooling over Humpy Bong by then anyway.”

Roger put down his pizza and rubbed his hand on his jeans. “So since it’s so late, are you staying tonight?”

“Oh- I didn’t want to wear out my welcome,” Freddie replied. “We have just met after all.”

“And I’ve already had you in bed,” A wicked grin spread over Roger’s face and he waggled his eyebrows causing Freddie to crack up.

Roger turned to grab the TV remote and Freddie evaluated his statement. “I suppose you did.”

“And-” Roger said as he turned back with remote in hand. “I intend to do it again.”

Freddie snorted. “Has that line  **ever** worked out for you?”

“Not even a little bit,” Roger replied, cheerfully.


	4. Tim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim finally shows his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize profusely to Tim Staffell. I'm sure he's a lovely chap and I've done him a huge injustice. Please forgive me, Tim.
> 
> Slight TW for blood and injury in this chapter.

The next day Freddie left early, leaving Roger to sit with his excitement for the rest of the day.

That evening Smile was going to have their first official practice with Roger as the drummer. So, naturally, it ended up being all he could think about. During class he drummed on his knee trying to remember the bridge to ‘Doin’ Alright’ and a couple of his classmates turned to grin at him. He had been mouthing the words a bit too audibly. 

When he hopped off the bus to go to the practice, Roger was still dressed in his scrubs and he also had on a black zippered jacket.

Roger let himself into the student theater. Only Brian had beat him there, and he sat on the edge of the stage scribbling on a piece of paper.

“Hey stranger,” Roger said, as he tossed his book bag onto one of the red fabric seats. 

Brian looked up and smiled. “Ah finally, I’ve been here alone for nearly a half hour. It’s actually quite spooky in here when you’re alone.”

“I believe it,” Roger walked over head cocked to the side. “Are you writing a song?”

“Yeah, I’ve been trying...”

“Well, lets hear a line then.”

Brian took a deep breath as he shook the paper fully open and read off: “’Do you think you’re better ever day? No I just think I’m nearer to my grave.’ It needs something but I’m not sure what yet.”

Roger scratched at his chin and twirled around on one foot. Brian would soon learn that this was Roger’s way of thinking hard, along with a furrowed brow and a slightly confused look on his face.

“I think the second part of the line needs work,” Roger said, finally. 

“Really?” Brian evaluated the paper again. “I was thinking the number of syllables just isn’t-” Brian paused. “Oh… Oh no-”

Roger turned to face the door. They could hear muffled shouting on the other side. 

Someone Roger didn’t recognize kicked the door open. Red faced, and tall, he had lanky curtains of hair hanging around his face. 

The man had his back to the stage and he shouted out into the hall.

“There’s no point to this shitty university band, Freddie. You’re kidding yourself!”

Roger anxiously glanced at Brian who looked like a deer caught in headlights. Brian’s hand shook and he started to crumble his lyrics sheet. 

Gently, Roger pulled the paper away from the guitarist and placed it on the stage before Brian completely ruined it. When Roger turned his attention back to the two shouting men, Freddie had pushed Tim further into the theater, the doors slamming shut behind them. 

“Why waste all this time then, if that’s how you feel?”

“Brian and me maybe had a chance- but then he just had to take a favoring to you-”

Before Roger could even register what this person, who he assumed was Tim, had just said, he felt Brian jump down from the stage and rush forward to try to stop Freddie- but Brian wasn’t quick enough.

Freddie lunged at Tim and they both clattered to the floor.

Brian tried desperately to pull Freddie away but Tim managed to get on top of Freddie. Tim then threw a punch and it hit its target- square in Freddie’s face. 

Making a grab for the back of Tim’s shirt, Brian shouted over to Roger, “A little help?”

Roger finally shook himself out of shock when he heard Freddie yelp from pain. He ran forward as well, grabbing one of Tim’s arms as Freddie went to punch Tim in the head. Freddie missed, due to Brian and Roger being able to pull Tim out of the way. 

Roger tugged both of Tim’s arms behind his back and Brian placed himself between the two fighting men, pushing Freddie away by placing his large hand on Freddie’s chest. 

Glaring up at Brian’s face, Freddie wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand. 

“Are you goinb to leb him talk tob me like thab?” 

“Back off Fred,” Brian insisted. 

“Yeah Fred,” Tim lunged forward again and Roger had to struggle to hold him in place. “You’re too much of a pussy-”

The look Brian had when he swung around was terrifying even to Roger. Fire flashed in Brian’s hazel eyes and he somehow seemed to tower even more then he already did above them.

“I’m saving you from him, not the other way around.” Brian said to Tim in a dangerous voice. “But, by all means, if you want me to let him have his way with you then-”

Tim shoved Roger off of him and he looked up at Brian with venom. He seemed to remember then that he was outnumbered, because his eyes slid from a bloody Freddie and to the horrifyingly large Brian. 

“Fine, I was going to tell you I signed with Humpy Bong today, anyway.”

Tim went to move and Roger jerked to grab onto him again but Tim pushed Roger so back of his legs hit the metal chair behind him. 

“Don’t worry I’m gone, and good riddance.” 

Tim spat on the ground at Brian’s feet and headed for the door.

When the door slammed shut Roger winced and Brian deflated instantly. Panic took over Brian’s face as he went to fuss over Freddie.

“Is it broken?” Brian asked, as he gently cupped the side of Freddie’s face as if that helped him see Freddie’s nose better.

Freddie started to cry and it definitely did not help. 

“I donb know, I donb know!”

Roger placed a hand on Brian’s lower back and gave him a glance to indicate that he’d take over. 

“Believe it or not, I’ve been in this situation before,” Roger winked, trying to calm Freddie down. It sort of worked but then Freddie let out another broken sob.

After attempting to shush Freddie, Roger then told Brian to go find ice.

Looking grateful to have been given a task, Brian took off and Roger gently hooked his arm around Freddie’s shoulders to steer him out into the hall, to the bathroom.

~*~

A few minutes later, Freddie sat on a sink counter, sniffling. Roger had Freddie tilt his head back and he had put pressure on Freddie’s nose with a rag. 

“We got a showb this weekend,” Freddie choked out. “Brianb was goinb to surprise yob.”

Roger rubbed Freddie’s back in slow circles with his free hand. He had some of Freddie’s blood on the front of his scrubs. 

“Getting you patched up is what matter’s right now,” Roger said, as he raked his fingers up and down Freddie’s back.

Freddie shivered and closed his eyes. 

“Here,” Roger grabbed one of Freddie’s hands and put it on the rag so he could get his hands free.

Roger then shrugged off his zippered hoodie and wrapped it over Freddie’s shoulders like a blanket. 

Whimpering as Roger regained hold of the rag, Freddie pulled the jacket close around him like a cocoon.

Ten minutes later, Brian burst in carrying a bag of ice and somehow, a whole frozen steak wrapped in a towel.

“My dad always said these were good for swelling! I’m not sure how scientific that is,” Brian said desperately. “And I’m against the fact a cow was killed for this but-”

“Oh give it here,” Roger sighed. “Where the hell did you get a steak?”

“The cafeteria lady gave it to me-”

“Glabtius?” Freddie asked.

“Yes Glatis, your favorite one-”

Freddie sobbed, “Yob canb put meat on my face.”

Roger began to rub at Freddie’s back again, trying to reassure him. 

“Close your eyes,” Roger commanded. “Do you want black eyes?” 

A distressed sound came out of Freddie and Roger wrapped the frozen meat in a paper towel and placed it on the bridge of Freddie’s nose over his eyes.

“Is it broken?” Brian asked surveying Freddie, looking troubled. “Should he go to the hospital?”

Roger shook his head. “I touched it- even though he screamed at me,” Freddie cut in with a moan of relief as the cold spread on his skin. “And its just swollen, he just needs to worry ‘bout bruising.”

~*~

Once the steak was no longer cold and the ice had melted, the three of them decided to make their way to Walpole Park. Any hope of a practice had been forgotten. What use was there to practicing if Freddie couldn’t sing? 

Freddie and Roger sat in the grass, huddled together, watching Brian skip rocks into the small pond. Roger kept ripping up grass, absentminded.

The bridge and corners of Freddie’s eyes were still very purple but he could at least talk again now that the swelling had gone down and his throat was no longer filled with blood. He tried to insist that he would be fine for at least a couple hours but both Roger and Brian refused, saying they could get back together again for practice on the next day, Wednesday.

Roger could tell that Freddie was trying to pretend the confrontation with Tim wasn’t bothering him and that it was inevitable, but Roger still could feel sadness radiate off Freddie’s body. Freddie had not let go of Roger’s jacket since it had been placed on him. 

Leaning back on his elbows, Roger clamped a cigarette between his lips. As he chased the tip with a match, he watched the late afternoon clouds drift by.

They had been silent now for a while, each thinking about their own things.

“Hey, you still got time to heal up,” Roger offered after a while hoping to soothe Freddie’s emotional wounds. “Five days should be enough. And it’ll be our first gig together, that’s exciting right?”

Freddie stared at him skeptically but shifted to place his head on Roger’s shoulder. 

“If you say so.”

Brian dropped one large stone into the pond with a loud plonk. He glanced at the setting sun and then his watch. 

“I should be heading home,” Brian said to the other two as he turned to look at them. He picked up the handle of his guitar case. “Either of you want to walk with me to the bus station?”

Roger glanced at Freddie who blushed.

“Actually, I wanted to spend a bit more time with Freddie I think,” Roger said, shifting his blue eyes to Brian’s face. 

Brian looked back and forth at the two of them and a small smile perked up on his lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

~*~

Not much longer after Brian left, Freddie had curled up to Roger’s side, beginning to dose off a little. Before he could however, Roger cleared his throat. Freddie’s eyelids fluttered back open and he looked up at Roger curiously.

“I was wondering...” Roger paused. He had been thinking about this all afternoon and he was going to do it even before all the Tim stuff happened, but now a bit of hesitation crept into his mind. 

Freddie didn’t say anything but instead waited for him to continue, his eyebrow raising.

“Would you...” Roger swallowed, twirling a blade of grass between his fingers. “… Look I know you’ve had a long afternoon and all but...would you want to go out to eat with me?”

Roger felt a pit of anxiety grow in his stomach as Freddie’s eyebrows knitted in thought. But rather then outright saying no like Roger expected, Freddie said: “Tonight?”

Roger took a deep breath. 

“Yeah it was a silly idea, of course you wouldn’t-”

Cutting Roger off, Freddie spoke again.

“Of course I would love to,” Freddie smiled as big as his injured face would allow. “But tonight isn’t any good, look at me darling, I’d absolutely insist on becoming pretty for you first.” 

“That-thats okay!” Roger stuttered in a way he normally wouldn’t have. 

“We could go tomorrow if I’m feeling better,” Freddie offered. “I don’t have class, so I can call you in the morning to let you know if we can meet up after your classes are done.”

Roger let out a sigh of relief he didn’t realize he was holding in. He felt light headed but victorious all the same time. 

He reached his arm around Freddie to hug him closer and placed his chin on top of Freddie’s head.

“That works for me.”


	5. A Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger and Freddie take a trip to Fat Boy's diner
> 
> Also Fat Boy's diner is a real place actually a half hours drive from where Freddie's college would be today!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware I stopped writing for months, I'm very sorry for that. Hopefully this short but sweet chapter will make up for it, thank you for your patience :)

Freddie found when he woke up the next morning and peered into the mirror that though his face didn’t look much better, he felt extremely excited and nervous. His hand shook slightly as he covered the bridge of his nose liberally with foundation, wondering what later in the day would bring him.

On the phone Roger had told him that he only had one class that morning and then they could go wherever Freddie wanted for lunch and then after they would head to their practice together with Brian. After a few moments of internal deliberation, Freddie chose the Fat Boys diner, a half hour bus ride away.

It wasn’t until Freddie stood in front of Roger’s dorm that true panic set in. Had he hidden his bruises well enough? Was his outfit ‘too loud’? The weather had been good for his fur jacket but he realized he hadn’t really thought about how Roger would feel about being followed around by a poof in a fur coat..

Freddie took a deep breath and brought his knuckles up to the cool metal of Roger’s door and after a moment of hesitation he knocked. 

The knock set off a loud scuffling noise and what sounded like someone falling over.

When the door finally opened, Freddie couldn’t help but smirk. 

Red faced and winded, Roger stood in the doorway with a towel clutched around his waist and his hair dripping.

“Sorry, sorry,” Roger said as he opened the door all the way to let Freddie in. “I lost track of time-”

Freddie’s grin faded once he got inside and realized, as Roger shut the door behind them, he was alone with a very naked Roger. His tongue ran over his bottom lip and his eyes shifted from Roger, to the floor, and back to Roger again.

A dark blush stained Roger’s cheeks on top of the red already in his face.

Freddie finally decided the most neutral thing to do was to stare hard at his hands as though they were suddenly really interesting. He cleared his throat.

“Well, hurry up dear and get ready, or we’ll miss the bus.”

“Did you already buy our tickets?” Roger asked. He made a beeline to the closet to grab clothes. 

“Yes and we are due to be at the station in 30 minutes.”

Roger smiled apologetically as he bent down to grab some of his underwear that Freddie had been kind enough to fold when he had last been there. 

“Your hair is sticking up in the back, do you have a brush?”

“A brush? I-” Roger brought his hand up to his hair to touch it and he grimaced. “Oh yes, in the bathroom.” 

Freddie excused himself from the room while Roger finished dressing and in the bathroom he waited for Roger to tell him it was safe to return.

Roger had thrown a powder blue t-shirt over his head, making the hair even more tangled. Freddie sighed and gestured Roger to come closer and as gentle as he could, Freddie pulled through the tangles, getting little whines from Roger when he hit a particularly nasty patch.

“I fell asleep before my shower-” Roger explained as Freddie brushed. 

Freddie didn’t reply but instead ran his fingers over Roger’s scalp, making the blond close his eyes and hum contently.

Once done brushing, Freddie stood back to study his work. 

“Better?” Roger asked, grinning.

“Much.”

Roger took the hair brush and tossed it onto his bed. “Ready to go then?”

Freddie’s eyebrow rose and he looked down at Roger’s feet.

“Don’t you want socks darling?”

Roger blushed again.

“Oh, right, yeah,” Roger stumbled as he headed back to his closet to dig for a pair.

~*~

The 474 bus pulled into the platform just in time for Roger and Freddie to hop on. The bus was rather crowded considering it was only mid day but the two found a decent seat near the back of the bus.

Freddie smiled to Roger once they were settled and Roger wondered to himself if it was painful to smile so big with the injury Freddie had. His eyes lingered on the bridge of Freddie’s nose, for a moment but then they slid down to Freddie’s shapely lips.

The bus lurched towards their destination at a slow pace. Every few blocks it felt like the bus needed to stop to let someone on or off. Roger didn’t mind too much though; he had chosen to have the window seat, but there wasn’t much outside that was holding his attention like Freddie was. 

Every so often Roger pressed his leg a little too much against Freddie’s. The first time Roger did it, Freddie assumed he, himself, had been the cause. Politely he said he was sorry and shifted in his seat.

By the second time their knees touched Roger had made it obvious it was deliberate. He hesitantly rubbed his knee against Freddies and watched Freddie’s face for a reaction.

Freddie just pressed his lips together and stared into space. 

The third time Roger bumped his leg against Freddie’s he watched as Freddie glanced around to see if anyone was watching and when he was satisfied they weren’t, he trapped Roger’s leg underneath his own.

“Unfair, Balsara,” Roger said, his eyes flashing at the darker haired man. It was on now.

After ten minutes of wrestling, where each declared silent victory over the other when they had trapped the other’s leg, Freddie stuck his tongue out at Roger. 

“Fine,” Freddie huffed. “You win.”

“I knew I would,” Roger declared and Freddie slapped Roger’s knee.

“You win for now, anyway,” Freddie said evenly.

It took Roger a moment to realize Freddie’s hand was still resting on his knee. Freddie’s face flushed, adding to the already slightly discolored skin of his face and he hesitantly pulled his hand away.

“It’s ok, you’re fine-” Roger started to say but then he felt a nervous twist in his gut when he saw Freddie sit on his hands.

They spent the rest of the ride silent.

~*~

Roger stood at the jukebox flipping through the songs. The bustle of the diner became background noise to him as he read song titles. He knew the choice shouldn’t have taken this long and he probably looked like an idiot spending ten minutes pushing buttons but for some reason he had to find THE song…

When Roger returned to go back to their table he found Freddie trying his hardest to daintily eat the giant cheese burger he was given. His mouth would have just barely fit over it if he dared to try.

Roger snorted at the sight and Freddie glared up at him. 

“I don’t remember their burgers being this big last time I was here.”

“Hmmm, a bit intimidated by a bigger size?” Roger slid into the booth, wiggled his eyebrows. A well aimed french fry came for his face and he had to shield himself from it. 

Freddie huffed and Roger couldn’t watch Freddie struggle anymore. “Give me the burger-”

Suspicion flashed across Freddie’s face. “Why do you want it?”

“Give it to me and you’ll find out.”

Freddie glanced at Roger then back to his absurdly large burger. With a sigh he placed it back on the plate and slid it across the table. 

Roger took a moment to study Freddie’s still obviously bruised face- even with the bruising he looked as alluring as ever, his dark eyes watching Roger with interest.

“It’s a trick my mom taught me-” Roger took a steak knife and cut the burger into fourths. “Don’t feel silly for not thinking of it, even the simplest things need to be explained sometimes.”

Freddie pressed his lips together and pulled his sandwich back towards himself. Gingerly he grabbed one of the four slices and found it much easier to press down and eat. 

“Maybe you’re the other half of my brain I’ve been looking for,” Freddie mused. He took a bite when the song Roger chose came onto the jukebox.

“Finally-” Roger said but Freddie shushed him. 

“And don’t you know I love her so  
And I’ll never, never, never let her go..”

“Can’t You See That She’s Mine..?” Freddie asked quizzically. “Doesn’t seem like something you’d pick-”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me yet.”

Gently, after checking to see if anyone was watching, Roger brought his finger’s to Freddie’s hand which laid on the table. He traced his finger tips down his soft skin, humming a long to the song as he did so. 

“And I’ll never, never let her go  
No matter what the people may say or try to do  
Cause can’t you see that she’s mine”

Roger could feel his heart nearly beating out of his chest, not entirely sure why now seemed the appropriate time to do this. However, he was one that always tried to go with his gut. The moment back in the bus did make him hesitate but in the end this was what he wanted to do.

He watched Freddie swallow, examine their hands together, but Freddie did not pull away long after the song ended, until the noise of glasses clattering together pulled them back to the reality they were sitting in a busy restaurant.

Freddie gave Roger an apologetic smile, then said, “Thanks for taking me out Rog, this whole Tim thing has just really been getting to me-”

Roger nodded.

“I’ve always wanted to make it big so bad,” Freddie continued, “And I can’t believe I almost let that wanker ruin what is destined to be mine.”

“Ours-” Roger said sincerely, but when he saw a new blush creep over Freddie’s face he cleared his throat. “You me and Brian’s I mean.”

“Right...” 

Freddie went back to his burger and they spent the rest of the rest of the meal talking about nearly everything under the sun. Far into the later afternoon, after many coffee refills, the waitress started to glare at them as she walked past. It just made Roger and Freddie hysterical with laughter.

Tim wasn’t mentioned again for the rest of the night, not even at practice that evening with Brian.


End file.
